Holiday-Special News ("Abominable Bride")

[sittything]

46 days until the Special airs... 

[J.P.]

46 days - for you...

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

I've been in your shoes, J.P., and it's no fun.  Thank goodness for DVDs!

 

[J.P.]

How the hell I'm supposed to survive the time between the UK airing and the day the DVD arrives? Avoid all online activities? Pull the plug totally?

[T.o.b.y]

How the hell I'm supposed to survive the time between the UK airing and the day the DVD arrives? Avoid all online activities? Pull the plug totally?

 

That's my plan in case I can't find a way to see the special sooner without breaking the law too much. I won't go into details here, but I saw series 3 the day it came out. The internet is a marvelous place... ;) Ahem. Anyway. If that doesn't work, then yes, I will go offline until the DVD arrives.

[sittything]

We should keep all Special talk to this (or another) thread and mark it for spoilers.  Won't solve the issue of spoilers elsewhere on the internet, but it would make this forum a safe place for those who haven't seen it yet.

[J.P.]

Oh, we just can avoid this thread. :D

[Caya]

Nah, we've been really diligent when Series 3 came out to keep all spoilers in their appointed place, and we don't plan on changing that policy, so don't worry about getting spoilered without meaning to ;).

[sittything]

Nah, we've been really diligent when Series 3 came out to keep all spoilers in their appointed place, and we don't plan on changing that policy, so don't worry about getting spoilered without meaning to ;).

 

Glad to read it was kept contained last time.   

[Carol the Dabbler]

We should keep all Special talk to this (or another) thread and mark it for spoilers.  Won't solve the issue of spoilers elsewhere on the internet, but it would make this forum a safe place for those who haven't seen it yet.

 

I'm thinking of avoiding discussions of the Special for a while even after I've seen it.  This time, I'd like to digest it myself -- so that I know what I think of it -- before being exposed to other interpretations.

 

Nah, we've been really diligent when Series 3 came out to keep all spoilers in their appointed place, and we don't plan on changing that policy, so don't worry about getting spoilered without meaning to ;).

 

Well, don't worry too much, anyhow.  We did have a (very) few people post their Series 3 comments in the wrong place, but those slip-ups were quickly rectified by our diligent staff!

[Inge l-w]

Why ever not, ladies? It would be a special treat for the deprived Continental Europeans to get a précis of the plot, the storyline, the funny or sad twists in the tale! After all, people who cannot be bothered to write proper introductions to their own work are fair game to the whole ACD fandom! Please, spoil away! It will make watching the DVD so much more enjoyable! Also, I'm already a registered member of BBC Radio, so I shall look at the option of streaming BBCOne (and there's always onTV).

At the moment, I'm contemplating carting the whole family over to London for Silvesterabend, watching BBC One on New Year's Day at the hotel and catching the return flight on the 2nd, just in time to get back to work. It's bound to be rather expensive, but that's usually true for all kinds of addiction! :D

[Carol the Dabbler]

Why ever not, ladies? It would be a special treat for the deprived Continental Europeans to get a précis of the plot, the storyline, the funny or sad twists in the tale! After all, people who cannot be bothered to write proper introductions to their own work are fair game to the whole ACD fandom! Please, spoil away! It will make watching the DVD so much more enjoyable!

 

It's not Moftiss we're protecting from spoilers, Inge -- I assume they already know how it turns out!  There are some fans who want every little hint they can lay their hands on, others who don't want to hear one single thing ahead of time, and lots of people somewhere in the middle.  Sherlock Forum intends to provide comfortable spots for all.  So do feel free to spoil yourself, just be careful where you share the news.

[Inge l-w]

Dear Carol, except an endlessly patient amphibian princess, you are my personal, private and confidential conductor of light! May you and all yours live long and prosper, as a distant relation of Sherlock's said! While I was updating my Amazon basket, I stumbled upon Lewis, S9. Lacking any news on a continuation of Endevour, I added THAT to the basket almost faster than lightning! and a !

P.S. The same end emoticons are gratefully extended to dear Caya!

[Caya]

I'd better clarify my initial post: it is absolutely allowed to post spoilers on this site! Come online ten seconds after the end credits, and watch the forum explode with speculation .

 

What is *not* allowed, however, and what we're going to work hard to stop from happening, is posting spoilers in a non-spoiler thread/subforum. Generally speaking, if a thread has a title like "Abominable Bride (Christmas Special) - SPOILER THREAD!" or "SPOILER THREAD - What do you think of the post-credit scene?" all gloves are off, and you can decide whether or not to read it before you've seen the episode at your own discretion. Posting a spoiler in, say, the Blind Banker thread, like, "I know he wasn't popular, but I can't believe they killed Dimmock in the Special!" (note: this is *not* a real spoiler, unless I have a psychic talent I'm unaware of) will get your post moved to the correct thread asap [or deleted outright! -- CtD].

 

While this strict spoiler isolation policy remains in effect, there's usually a banner on top of the site warning you about it. As soon as we relax it (usually a week or so after the episode has been aired everywhere), the banner will be gone and there will be an announcement too.

 

tl;dr: Anyone who wants to read spoilers will be able to. Anyone who wants to avoid them will be able to, as well.

 

eta: The No-Spoiler Policy is also going to be in effect for thread titles, btw. So don't worry about coming here and seeing a thread, "Harry's death, OMG!" or such, and inadvertedly picking up a spoiler. We will change titles if the need arises.

Edited November 16, 2015 by Carol the Dabbler
Added a few clarifying phrases.

[Arcadia]

 

...... slip-ups were quickly rectified by our diligent staff!

Gulp. Can I stand the pressure .... ?

[Arcadia]

Well, I figured this is what would happen ... since I couldn't buy tickets for the screening of TAB through the website, yesterday I went to the theater to see if I could buy them in person ... and they had no idea what I was talking about. *sigh* So I either wait and take the chance that they are actually showing the film and tickets will eventually become available, or go ahead and buy tickets where they ARE for sale ... at the theater that's almost an hour away. No, I'm not in the least bit frustrated......

 

Still, it could be worse ... at least I'll get to see it January 1. Maybe that will be enough ....... still torn........ aghhhh....

[Carol the Dabbler]

... since I couldn't buy tickets for the screening of TAB through the website, yesterday I went to the theater to see if I could buy them in person ... and they had no idea what I was talking about. *sigh* So I either wait and take the chance that they are actually showing the film and tickets will eventually become available, or go ahead and buy tickets where they ARE for sale ... at the theater that's almost an hour away. No, I'm not in the least bit frustrated......

 

It'll be interesting to see how well the tickets do sell for this.  (I really have no idea what to expect.)  You might be able to buy tickets at the theater a lot closer to the show dates.  Or not.    You might try asking to speak to the manager, if you didn't do that already.  In my experience that generally means going there during the daytime on a weekday.

[Arcadia]

The girl I talked to spoke to the manager. Their explanation was that "corporate" never tells them anything until the last minute. In which case, how is it that Fathom Events knows about it?

 

I actually expect the theater to be mostly empty but who knows?

[Inge l-w]

Empty? How could it be empty? In the Hamlet screening we were 1500 in one auditorium, jam-packed, sardine-like, take your elbow out of my ribs, to use the politest version; old, young, men, women, anyone above the age of thirteen, only the proverbial kitchen sink was missing! @Arcadia, you are pulling our collective legs, right?

[Boton]

I'd better clarify my initial post: it is absolutely allowed to post spoilers on this site! Come online ten seconds after the end credits, and watch the forum explode with speculation .

 

What is *not* allowed, however, and what we're going to work hard to stop from happening, is posting spoilers in a non-spoiler thread/subforum. Generally speaking, if a thread has a title like "Abominable Bride (Christmas Special) - SPOILER THREAD!" or "SPOILER THREAD - What do you think of the post-credit scene?" all gloves are off, and you can decide whether or not to read it before you've seen the episode at your own discretion. Posting a spoiler in, say, the Blind Banker thread, like, "I know he wasn't popular, but I can't believe they killed Dimmock in the Special!" (note: this is *not* a real spoiler, unless I have a psychic talent I'm unaware of) will get your post moved to the correct thread asap [or deleted outright! -- CtD].

 

While this strict spoiler isolation policy remains in effect, there's usually a banner on top of the site warning you about it. As soon as we relax it (usually a week or so after the episode has been aired everywhere), the banner will be gone and there will be an announcement too.

 

tl;dr: Anyone who wants to read spoilers will be able to. Anyone who wants to avoid them will be able to, as well.

 

eta: The No-Spoiler Policy is also going to be in effect for thread titles, btw. So don't worry about coming here and seeing a thread, "Harry's death, OMG!" or such, and inadvertedly picking up a spoiler. We will change titles if the need arises.

 

How about "Victorian Dimmock/Harry: Super-Hot OTP"?  

 

:D  :D  :D  :D

[Carol the Dabbler]

Empty? How could it be empty? In the Hamlet screening we were 1500 in one auditorium, jam-packed, sardine-like, take your elbow out of my ribs, to use the politest version; old, young, men, women, anyone above the age of thirteen, only the proverbial kitchen sink was missing! @Arcadia, you are pulling our collective legs, right?

 

What were the Hamlet-screening audiences like here in the US -- anybody?  That might give us some idea of what to expect for the Special (assuming that they weren't all major Shakespeare groupies).  I will say that the theater was pretty packed for the midnight showing of the first Hobbit movie, and some of those people may have been there because Martin Freeman was in it -- but I got the impression that most were LotR movie fans -- probably there to see Legolas!

[Inge l-w]

And Galadriel, and Tauriel, not to mention a fiery, scaly, winged monster with a voice that could have been pure 24-carat molten gold in the second and third ones!

Shakespeare groupies? I should say not! The entire front row from ours (row 14) was peopled by Sherlock groupies, if anything; twenty-somethings, with their boyfriends.

And I could kick myself from Oldenburg to Indianapolis at this moment, dear Carol, the Atlantic notwithstanding, because Sir Ian Mc Kellan was answering questions on Twitter about Mr Holmes at 11:00 PT and 2:30 ET and I went and missed it!!!

[sfmpco]

 

Empty? How could it be empty? In the Hamlet screening we were 1500 in one auditorium, jam-packed, sardine-like, take your elbow out of my ribs, to use the politest version; old, young, men, women, anyone above the age of thirteen, only the proverbial kitchen sink was missing! @Arcadia, you are pulling our collective legs, right?

 

What were the Hamlet-screening audiences like here in the US -- anybody?  That might give us some idea of what to expect for the Special (assuming that they weren't all major Shakespeare groupies).  I will say that the theater was pretty packed for the midnight showing of the first Hobbit movie, and some of those people may have been there because Martin Freeman was in it -- but I got the impression that most were LotR movie fans -- probably there to see Legolas!

 

 

I saw Hamlet twice in the cinema.  The first time it was about 1/3 full.  The second time about 1/10.  The first time I went alone and there was some Sherlock conversation behind me from women about my age, but the 2nd time I went with a friend who is a professional, Julliard-trained actress, and we kept the discussion to Hamlet.  Didn't even hear anything about Sherlock at all.

 

We were both appalled at the lack of attendance, and not because it was a Cumberbatch event.  It was Hamlet.  Where were the university students?  The high school English students?  It should have been packed out.  I don't know how much advertising NTLive does.  Do they contact schools and universities?  I know that over at the UCLA campus it was sold out for the two shows.  

 

So what kind of advertising will be done to draw people into the theater for TAB?  I don't know.  In the USA, I don't think they can count on social media or word of mouth.  Benedict and Martin are A-list actors but are not box-office gold mines here based on their names.  Even with the popularity of Sherlock, it is still hard for me to find someone IN PERSON to actually talk about the show or even someone who has seen it.  I would think, if it shows in cinemas in China, it would actually do better than in cinemas in the USA.  

 

So unless they are going to advertise the heck out of TAB, I foresee a lot of empty seats, and that is unfortunate.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Shakespeare groupies? I should say not! The entire front row from ours (row 14) was peopled by Sherlock groupies, if anything; twenty-somethings, with their boyfriends.

And I could kick myself from Oldenburg to Indianapolis at this moment, dear Carol, the Atlantic notwithstanding, because Sir Ian Mc Kellan was answering questions on Twitter about Mr Holmes at 11:00 PT and 2:30 ET and I went and missed it!!!

 

You can't necessarily distinguish Shakespeare groupies from the Sherlock kind by estimating their ages!

 

As for the McKellen Q&A, I finally found it, here!

[Inge l-w]

Sorry, dear Carol, but in our neck of the woods you go to a live transmission, even if it's big-screen, dressed in what you might term "casual chick", no "I'm SherLocked" T-shirts visible, but during the intermission the girls in front of our row didn't stop gabbing about how brilliant BC is, how much they were looking forward to the Special ( poor deluded souls) and how much the creators' delays in producing S4 were getting on their nerves. A few boyfriends listened politely for a bit, then went to the bar, only to come back at the end of the 20-minute break.

And a personal, heartfelt THANK YOU for the Mc Kellan link! :rose: